The Fallen Guardian
by MrWezlum18
Summary: Story is finally compleate! I'm glad i finally got to it, its been bugging me for a while. Ichigo has his final showdown with Aizen as Orihime watches. character death, angst, cursing, but still with a happy ending. definitly PG-13
1. The Final Battle

**This idea came to me today while I was thinking about two IciOri fics I read, the general idea for this story comes from them.**

Bleach: The Last Chapter

Los Noches is the center of the dark realm. It is where all Hollows bow. It is on the other side of Soul Society. The opposite of our world. The world of Los Noches: Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo Kurosaki ran through the endless hallways. He was completely alone. He couldn't feel Rukia, or Chad. Uryu's reistu was fading, only Renji seemed to still be able to fight; but whether he was winning, Ichigo couldn't know.

Finally he stepped into an enormous room; it was more like a cathedral than a throne room. It's ceiling was out of sight, and he could have spent a half- hour walking to the throne itself, fortunately he had shunpo for that.

In a heart beat he was in front of the throne itself. It was empty.

'This is unbelievable, after everything I went through to get here and he doesn't even have the decency to show up!'

"Aizen!!!!!! Come out and face me!!" Ichigo roared to the room.

He stood there for several heartbeats, unmoving. Then he heard the approaching footsteps of the man he wanted to kill.

"My my you are one rude guest, you know that?" said Sosuke Aizen from the side of the elevated throne. He walked into Ichigo's view his unsheathed Zanpuku-to in one hand, the other holding a long thick chain...

"A proper guest would kindly thank his host for allowing him into his domain."

"Don't fuck with me Aizen!! Give me Inoue now!"

"Inoue?" Aizen mock- asked, "Inoue, oh you mean Orohime Inoue don't you?" He gave the chain in his hand a small tug and Orohime Inoue fell into view, her hands were bound behind her back, and the chain was attached to a metal collar on her neck.

"You bastard, how dare you treat her like that?! I'm going to mutilate you!!!"

"Just try it, boy."

"Bankai!"

Ichigo summoned all of his power into Zangetsu and in a great flash it turned into a black daito with a manji cross-guard. "Tensa Zangetsu"

"Back in soul-society you defeated me effortlessly, but I was weaker then, tired, and bloodied from my fight with Bykuya, but I've become even stronger since then; this time I WILL WIN!!!!!!!!!"

Suddenly he was behind Aizen, the tip of Zangetsu pointed at the back of Aizen's neck.

Aizen simply smirked, "I couldn't follow you, your shunpo in bankai form is even faster than that of normal ones."

"Actually I've never used Shunpo in bankai form. I've just jumped or run and I've gone as fast as I needed to."

"That's actually quite impressive, boy-san."

"Release Inoue and I might spare you some of the pain."

"Don't get full of yourself!" Aizen swung his Zanpuku-to at Ickigo, but Ichigo dodged and counted but Zangetsu went right through Aizen and he disappeared.

"An Allusion!"

Quickly he jumped high into the air and managed to dodge Aizen's counter-attack.

"Shatter Kyoka Suigetsu!"

"Tensa Zangetsu!"

The Guardian and the Traitor banged away at each other furiously in what seemed to be a stalemate.

Meanwhile, Orohime who had fallen to the floor when Aizen had released her began trying to untie herself, first she managed to slip her legs through her bound wrists so that they were in front of her just as Tatsuki had shown her. Then she began biting away at the knots.

With another clang Aizen and Ichigo landed on the throne room floor. Neither showing any sign of tiredness.

"Time to put an end to this nonsense! All Creation be undone! The ruler cast down and the fallen rise to glory! No peace for any who look upon the destruction of all; Metsubou Souzoubutsu level 100!"

Out from Aizen's out stretched hand came a black cloud so deep that the darkness inside could have been from the very bottom of the deepest ocean. It expanded and surrounded Ichigo. It enclosed over his head, and compressed itself down upon him all the way to the floor. No one good have survived it.

"The most powerful destructive kido. It is a one shot kill in any case that it is used. There is no way he could have out run it, even if he had tried."

"Oh ye of little faith." Said Ichigo from behind Aizen.

"What!? How can you be alive?"

"Shunpo." Ichigo said simply.

"That is not possible."

"You wanna bet?" said Ichigo from in front of Aizen.

Orohime finally managed to bite through the last knot. She got up and ran for the edge of the throne platform. But just as she got to the steps she saw something that would haunt her for the rest of her life: Ichigo with Aizen's sword sticking out of his gut. She didn't know how it happened, she had not seen the blow. But het eyes were not wrong, Aizen had not called out his sword's name, so there was no illusion in place... her Ichigo was really dying.

"NOOO!!! Damn you Aizen! Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun ! I reject!!"

"All right some action!" yelled the Shun Shun Rika as he blasted toward Aizen. Aizen caught completely off guard only managed to deflect Tsubaki, but it left him completely wide open to his real opponent, before Aizen knew what had happened; Tensa Zangetsu had pierced his black heart and come out the back of his shoulder. It had taken all of Ichigo's remaining strength, now he fell back with a quite thump.

"Shit." said Aizen. "I would've had you too if I'd used my bankai instead of kido. I could have undone reality, but I underestimated your resolve." With that, Aizen Sosuke died.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Orohime ran to Ichigo's side, "Don't worry! I can heal you! Don't leave me!"

Ichigo opened his eyes one more time, he looked into the young woman's beautiful face for a moment. "Oro... hime."

He said quietly, and passed on. A few feet away, Tensa Zangetsu disappeared along with Ichigo's Reitsu, and Ichigo's shuhaksho turned pure white.

"NOOO!!!" Orohime wept, "wait a second, Ayame, Shuno, Koten Kisshun, I reject!"

Ayame and Shuno zoomed out from Orohime's hairpin's and formed the half oval of healing energy over Ichigo's body.

But after a moment the oval dispersed and Ayame hovered towards Orohime, "I'm so sorry Orohime, Kurosaki-kun was forced to die to reclaim his Shinigami powers before."

"So? You can bring back the dead! You've done it before!"

"I'm sorry, through we can restore the dead, it can only be done once per person, and Kurosaki-kun all ready used up his limit for the technique before he had even heard about it. I'm afraid he's gone for good this time."

"You can go back Ayame, Shuno, and you too Tsubaki."

In a flash, Ayame, and Shuno disappeared, for a moment Tsubaki looked at Orohime, for the first and last time he wept for his master, then he too disappeared.

Orohime leaned over Ichigo's face, it looked so peaceful now, she smoothed back his hair.

She began to weep openly now, "I'm sorry, Ichigo... my... my love... my only love... I failed you again."


	2. The End, or the Beginning?

**Continuing from the last chapter, its time my readers find out what happens to every one the Ichigo held dear.**

**Bleach: The Battle that Broke their Hearts**

Aizen was dead, the Arrancar all destroyed, and Karakura Town safe from Los Noches. But to everyone connected with Ichigo, the price was too great.

Obviously, Ichigo could not return to the Living World; instead his body was sent to Soul Society by Rukia. As for his physical body, it was buried next to his mother.

Everyone who knew Ichigo showed up to lay flowers on his resting place.

"Ichi-nee!" screamed Karin and Yuzu.

"Shh... he's with mother now... he's happy where he is." said Isshin, Ichigo's father.

"Don't give me that crap," shrieked Karin, "Ichi-nee still had too much to do before he saw mom again!"

Rukia also wept openly for Ichigo, she had never thought that she would have to send his soul to the other side.

Renji too felt as if he had lost a brother.

Byakuya Kuchiki also showed up, "Despite how I acted to you, you weren't bad kid, I'm sorry you had to go like this."

Ikkaku, Yumishika, Ukitake, and every other captain (except for Mayuri Kurotsuchi) also joined the ranks of mourners.

Even Uryu came to pay his respects.

And of course Tatsuki, Kiego, Mizuiro, Chad, and Orihime where there too.

Only Ichigo's family were able to grieve more than Orihime.

Kenpachi did not weep, he simply bowed his head (he had mercifully abandoned his spikes for the occasion)

Yachiru did sob though, but then her face lit up, "Why are the Shinigami sad Ken-chan? Won't we see him again in Soul Society?"

"Probably not, and if we do he won't recognize us."

"Why? We're both going to the same place aren't we?"

"The Rukongai is _very_ big, the chances of him finding Seireitei and becoming a Shinigami again is very slim, and there's the fact that it's _very_ rare for Shinigami to remember their lives before they come to Soul Society."

"Harsh." said Yachiru glancing at Orihime.

**Two Months later**

Orihime walked home from school in a stupor. All she had been able to think about in the last weeks had been Ichigo. He had died to bring her home, but even the world that she had loved so much seemed empty without him.

Tatsuki shared in her grief, but she like Yuzu Kurosaki thought that Ichigo was happy with his mother now.

Without realizing it she walked straight into someone standing in front of her, she stepped back in surprise, and looked at the person she had bumped into.

The action probably surprised her more than the man she had walked into, "I'm sorry!" she said bowing.

"Don't mention it." said an eerily familiar voice, but something wasn't right...

"Kurosaki-kun?" she couldn't see the face, his back was to her, but he had the same orange hair, the same height, the sa-

"Nope." He said simply cutting across her thoughts.

"Do you... did you know Kurosaki-kun?"

"You could say that."

"What do you mean?"

He turned to look at her. She gasped, the stranger looked exactly like him! But at the same time he didn't look a thing like Ichigo. Ichigo's face was twisted into a horrible smirk, his face was paper white, even his hair looked unnaturally pale now that it was in better light, but the eyes... the eyes where the worst... the stranger's iris's where not brown, but a sickly venomous yellow, and what should been the whites of his eyes were as black as the soul within, "Well... He was the King." The creature said and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Orihime fell to her knees, shaking.


	3. A Hopeless Battle

**Sorry its been so long since my last update, I've just been real busy with church and PSAT's and stuff. Anyway here's the next chapter in The Fallen Guardian.**

Bleach: **Battle of the Bankai**

Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihouin, Yasutora 'Chad' Sado, Orihime Inoue, Uryu Ishida, Rukia Kuchiki, and Renji Abarai walked in a line through the grounds at Karakura High School.

"Are you sure Kurosaki(?) will be here?" asked Uryu

"A hollow often appears near places that it was strongly connected to in life, it is a good bet that the doppel-ganger will appear before us." answered Urahara.

"Then shouldn't we be checking out Ichigo's home?!" asked Rukia

"Don't worry about the Kurosaki Clinic, I can assure you that our help **won't** be required there."

"...?"

3 days earlier

"Are you sure Inoue-chan?" asked Urahara alarmedly

"Yes, it was definitely Kurosaki-kun! But... it wasn't at the same time..."

"According to your story, the thing I feared most has come to pass... Ichigo's hollow has escaped."

"Ichigo's... hollow?"

"Yes, when Ichigo first regained the powers of a Shinigami a hollow was also created deep within his soul, it was the manifestation of all his combat instincts. During the Soul Society invasion, and the Bount crisis the hollow steadily tried to take control of him, but recently he was able to suppress it; but now with Ichigo gone, the hollow is loose with all of Ichigo's powers at his disposal."

"We can't let it live, no matter what." said Yoruichi, "We must gather everyone we can."

Present

Ahh so the King's fool's are here." said a cold voice from above their heads.

They looked up in a panic, there was Ichigo-[ would you STOP calling me 'Ichigo'?! I have no name!! If you must call me something, then call me Ogihci ya jack ass!

They looked up in a panic, there was Ogihici sitting leisurely on the edge of the roof of the school in full Shinigami clothing, except that it was stark white.

"Hey hollow!" shouted Uryu readying his Ginrei Kojaku "I don't care who you used to be, I'll make sure you never get the chance to hurt anyone!"

"Aw shut up ya four-eyed, balls-less, Indian wannabee, before I have to maim you."

"Ichigo-kun! Please wake up! Stop doing this!" pleaded Orihime

In an instant Ogihci was in front of Orihime, "Sorry tits, but Ichigo is dead." the demon whispered.

An energy arrow whizzed through the air where Ogihci's head was, but he was already gone...

"Hey over here retards!"

Ogihci was behind them now.

"He's fast!" muttered Chad.

"Prepare for battle!" shouted Yoruichi

"Sing Benihime!"

"Howl Zabimaru!"

"Dance Sode no Shirayuki!"

"Ayame, Biagon, Hinagiku, Lily, Shuno, Tsubaki! Shun Shun Rika!"

Chad materlized his giant arms, and Yoruichi powered up her shunko.

Ogihci scoffed, "this is a fantastic light show, but none of you can stand up to Zangetsu when it's used properly!"

Ogihci whipped out the white Zangetsu and started spinning it around by its cloth bandage. He swung it at Orihime, it would have lopped her in two if not for her shield.

Ogihci jumped next to avoid the head of Zabimaru's blade, and then darted to the right in midair to dodge the blast of ice from Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki only to get hit by a fire ball from Benihime.

As Ogihci landed Chad swung at him with his Left Arm of the Giant. "La Muerte!" he shouted.

Ogihci merely caught Chad's fist in his palm and knocked him back.

"Take these!" yelled Uryu, shooting a barrage of arrows at the hollow with Ginrei Kojaku.

"Gatsuga Tensho!" shouted Ogihci, a black crecsant shaped blast shot out the elegant cleaver called Zangetsu and hit Uryu's bow causing an explosion sending the young Quincy flying.

Before Ogihci knew what was happening he was being pummeled all over by the Goddess of Flash, and then he was kicked into the air and frozen up to his knees in midair by a pillar of ice, and then hit three times by Zabimaru and a blast from Benihime.

"Enough of this shit!" shouted Ogihci, "Ban-Kai!"

The ice holding the demon melted in an instant from the concentrated spirit energy, Ogihici emerged from the smoke with a long white robe and a ghostly white Daito with a manji cross guard, but the broken chain was absent for some reason. "Tensa Zangetsu."

"El Directo!" shouted Chad. A beam of powerful spirit energy fizzled out just short of the hollow, "damn it." muttered Chad.

"Getsuga Tensho!" a white version of the normally black spirit attack blasted Chad in the chest.

"Ban-kai!" shouted Renji and Urahara together.

"I don't think so!" shouted Ogihci suddenly appearing before Urahara and stabbing him in the shoulder.

"Damn you!" shouted Yoruichi and she attacked again with more ferocity than before. But Ogihci simply used his superior shunpo to overpower her and nail her in the back of the head with Tensa Zangetsu's pommel.

"Hihio Zabimaru!" shouted Renji as the titanic skelatal bamboo snake hurled itself at the Ichigo look alike.

Ogihci dodged and sent two more Getsuga Tensho's at the snake's head. But it was too strong to be beaten so easily.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" a blast of super powered energy blasted out of Hihio Zabimaru's mouth and hit Ogihci head on. But when the smoke cleared the hollow emerged with maybe a few singes of its jacket, it flew right at Renji and punched him in the throat, and then slashed him across the chest. Renji fell to his knees. "Higa Zekko." he gasped.

The segments of Hihio Zabimaru separated and turned into razor-sharp blades of spiritual energy and rained down on the hollows head, he dodged all but one which grazed his right arm, causing black blood to spurt out from the gash.

Ogichi grunted in discomfort as he shifted Tenso Zangetsu to his left hand, as Renji keeled over and Rukia and Orihime stepped forward.

"Oh yay, I get to fight some actual men now." said Ogihci with a smirk.

"I hate you." said Renji from the floor.

"First Dance!" said Rukia, as the ground around Ogihci turned to ice.

"I think NOT!" shouted Ichigo's hollow leaping to the side and avoiding the rising pillar of ice.

"Second Dance!" shouted Rukia in desperation, ice blasted out of the tip of her sword and rammed Ogihci in the chest.

"Finish him Orihime!" shouted Rukia.

"T-Tsubaki... Koten... Zanshun... I- I..."

"Hurry Orihime!"

"I reject!" Orihime shouted.

Tsubaki shot at the hollow in a blaze of orange energy, it was about to end and Ogihci knew it, he starred at he Shun Shun Rikkas path in fear, but then Orihime's resolve wavered just a tiny bit and Ogihci caught Tsubaki in his bare hand. He squeezed, earning him the little man's screams of agony, and then the hollow tossed him aside, then disappeared and slashed Rukia across the chest, kicked Uryu, who had been silently crawling closer in hopes of a surprise attack, into a nearby building, and whacking the backs of Orihime's legs with the blunt side of his daito cuasing her to fall to her knees, all this before Tsubaki hit the ground.

"Too bad tits!" the hollow roared at her, "If you weren't so weak, you might've finished me there! Heh, in fact, if you weren't so weak, Ichigo might still be alive right now."

Orihime felt tears start to flow down her checks as Ogihci raised the corrupted Tensa Zangetsu one more time...


	4. Gone Forever

**All right time to end this fic, I had fun but I'm getting sick of writing it (I all ready have ideas for another Bleach one, and I still have Dirge of Cerberus to write...) I couldn't decide whether to have Tatsuki, Kenpachi, or Hanataro save Orihime (seriously). Any way time to wrap this up:**

**Bleach: The Fallen Guardian: Put to Rest.**

Ogihci raised the corrupted Zampuk-to for the killing strike...

Orihime trembled with fear... there was no one to protect her; maybe she'd get to see Sora now...

"Good-bye bimbo, Enjoy the eternity of death alone." the Hollow said quietly.

"No..." groaned Uryu

"Oh Don't worry Quincy-brat! You'll all be joining her where she's going, say good-night!"

With finality Ogihci swung Tensa Zangetsu down on Orihime's head, she had no escape, it was the end.

Zangetsu passed right through the center of the top of Orihime's head... and kept on going... there was no blood, no cut, the blade simply passed right through her with not even a hair out of place.

"what the...?" muttered Ogihci.

He tried to stab Orihime through the heart... but again, the daito passed right through her with no injury left behind.

"Are you doing something?" ogihci asked with a half smirk.

Orihime simply starred at him, she had no explanation, why would she?

"She isn't doing it," said a deep male voice from behind them, "I am."

Ogihci spun around and saw to his astonishment that Zangetsu's spirit itself had emerged from the sword.

His long black coat and hair swayed in the breeze and his light sunglasses caught the last light of the setting sun, and he held Zangetsu in its Shikai form with its point in the ground.

"You're not going to fight me are you?" asked Ogihci doubtfully.

"That's impossible for me with the true Ichigo gone, but I don't have to, for someone far more powerful has arrived."

Ogihci looked around expectantly, so did Orihime.

Who would come? Kenpachi? Byakuya? Yamamoto?!

Then off in the distance they heard a faint voice, coming from... above?

"heeeeeeellllLLLOOOOO ICHIGOOOO!!!!!!!!" shouted a crazed middle-aged man as he brought his foot down on Ogihci's head with a dramatized explosion.

Isshin Kurosaki stood up and took in what his son had become... Ogihci just stood up and starred, and then laughed, "This duffus is supposed to be stronger than me?! What a joke!" then he caught sight of Isshin's Shinigami robe and captain's sash... "Oh no way..."

"I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I don't need to be to finish you."

"As if! Getsuga Tensho!"

The attack did not even phase Isshin.

"You thought I would continue to let you use me for evil?" asked Zangetsu "You've had enough fun, time to end him Isshin!"

"You got it! Path of Destruction 33 White Lightning!" the bolt of kido energy nearly brained Ogihci but he dodged it all the same, only to be impaled on Isshin's Zanpuk-to.

"Told you, I was stronger." said Isshin, "Now Ichigo can rest."

"Damn you..." said the Hollow.

Then as Ogihci began to fade away, he smiled serenely, almost reminiscent of the real Ichigo, and said to Orihime, "Just so you know, Ichigo was going to admit that he loved you too when he killed Aizen... guess that sucks for you two." and with that the hollow was purified and Ichigo completed the trip to Soul Society.

"Maybe not..." said Orihime thoughtfully.


	5. Returned

**Hey Everyone, sorry its been sooooo long since chapter 4. I really don't have an excuess other than that I was lazy, and that I kept brain-waving other ideas and had to write them before I forgot. Any way, here it is at last: The final installment of my first Bleach fic.**

50 years.

50 long years since the war with the Arrancar. 

It seemed like yesterday that Ogihci had been defeated, and yet to Orihime it also seemed like an eternity.

The whole group had suffered from Ichigo's departure... it seemed that he had been what had held the group together.

Chad moved back to Mexico after they had graduated. He had kept in touch though until he had died from a stroke several years earlier.

Uryuu ended up being true to his word and did not assciate with the shinigami ever again. He had kept in touch with some of them for a few years after high school, but he hadn't been heard from at all in recent years.

Rukia dropped by from time to time, but her visits were usually short and far in between. 

Orihime had never really been close to Renji so she did not hear from him at all unless he was with Rukia.

The Remainder off the Kursosaki family had been a mere shell of itself since Ichigo had died. Karin had run away at age 18 and hadn't been heard from since except Isshin and Yuzu. 

Yuzu had gone goth during middle school, and Isshin hardly smiled anymore, instead for any who were around him, the feeling of regret and sadness in the air was almost tangible.

As for Orihime, she and Tatsuki stayed as close as always fortunately, but Tatsuki had gone on to marry and live a full life; Orihime was another story...

Inoue Orihime gazed at the bed in front of her. She stood in a darkened hospital room at the foot of the patients bed. She held strange. She felt as if she did not recognize the person in the bed in front of her. But she did know, she had just never realized how old she looked before, because of course, the person in the bed was Orihime herself. 

She had only died a few minutes ago, so no one would know yet. It gave her ample time to think about things.

'It's strange being dead.' she thought. Her body lay dark and forlorn in front of her, hair once bright red, now light gray, and skin smooth in youth, now wrinkled, and pale. Yet the her face still retained much of the beauty of her youth.

In the last few years she had been bothered by arthritis in her back and legs, and she had had trouble breathing in the last few years. But she did not feel it, any of it. There was no pain. It was nice. 

She wondered whether she still looked old too, after all she felt younger than she had in years, even if she was dead...

The only real change she noticed, aside from the lack of usual physical pain, was the short broken chain attached to her chest. 

Of course she new what the chain of fate meant, but it did not really bother her.

Suddenly she felt as if she wasn't alone anymore. 

She whipped around staring in all directions. 

She heard something, indistinct at first, but there was no doubt what it was... the roar of a hollow, and she knew it was after her...

She quickly exited the hospital, not wanting to have the still living at risk. 

She could not run, and she could not fight, so she simply waited for her doom in despair.

The Hollow landed in front of her, it was a large specimen and obviously strong. 

It lurched forward for a quick dinner and Orihime closed her eyes tightly waiting for the pain...

But it never came.

She opened her eyes in time to see the hollow disappear in a small light with its head almost in halves. 

What she saw beyond the light took her breath away... 

A tall man, in a black robe. A gigantic sword held over his shoulder, although his eyes now showed the experience of 50 years, he did not look a day older than the day he died.

"Ichigo!" she cried.

"Have you ever noticed that I'm always saving you?" the Shinigami asked with a small grin.

Orihime flung herself into Ichigo's arms, sobbing.

"Ichigo, do you remember me?" she asked quietly.

"Of course." Ichigo said happily, "I know what you are thinking about, and don't forget, just because it's rare for a shinigami to remember their past life, doesn't mean it's unheard of."

Laughing with relief, Orihime buried her face in his shoulder, and then she smacked him over the head.

"What was that for!" he asked rubbing his temple. 

"For not visiting even once in the last five decades!"

"Hey cut me some slack! I only found my way to the seiritai in the last 25 years, and after that I couldn't come her unless I was a shinigami and they don't let students come here. Fortunately I had one hell of a head start and graduated just the other day, I mean how many students graduate with a reputation like mine?"

Orihime laughed and held on to Ichigo even tighter.

"It's a shame I'm so old now, we could have been something." she whispered to herself.

Ichigo swelled slightly when he heard her say this, even if she hadn't meant for him to, it confirmed what he had hoped for so long as well.

"Actually," Ichigo said loudly, "you don't look at all older than when I saw you in Las Noches." he took a small mirror out of his robe and held it up for her.

To her astonishment, she indeed looked as she did when she was 15. 

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" she asked with slight frown.

Ichigo answered with kiss on her lips that she returned with great entheaism.

"I'm sorry." he said, "I made you wait." 

He stamped her on the head with the hilt of his zanpak-to and as they both disappeared into the welcoming light of the Soul Society Orihime heard him say, "Orihime, I love you."

**THE END**


End file.
